A Study on the Effects of Incentive Strategies on Work Engagement for “Teachers with Dual Professional Qualifications” in Private Universities in Shaanxi, China: Self-Efficacy as a Mediator

Abstract

This study focuses on teachers with dual professional qualifications at private universities in Shaanxi Province. It aims to examine how three types of external incentives—namely, economic incentives, career development incentives, and training incentives—affect teachers’ Self-Efficacy and Work Engagement. The study also examines the mediating role of Self-Efficacy in the relationship between incentives and Work Engagement, as well as the moderating effects of University-Enterprise Cooperation on this pathway. Additionally, it analyzes how Self-Efficacy mediates the relationship between motivation and Work Engagement, and the moderating role of Teachers with Dual Professional Qualifications status on this link. The goal of this research is to provide both theoretical support and practical guidance for private universities to promote the high-quality development of teachers with Dual Professional Qualifications and to optimize human resource management.
This study employs a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative and quantitative methods. In the qualitative phase, the researcher invited seven education experts and university Managers from Shaanxi Province who have many years of experience in teacher training and management to conduct focus group interviews, to gain a deeper understanding of the problems and motivational mechanisms faced by the Teachers with Dual Professional Qualifications group in actual motivational practices. In the quantitative stage, 422 questionnaires were distributed to 23 Shaanxi private universities via stratified random sampling; 403 were returned, yielding an effective recovery rate of 95.5%. The data analysis primarily employs Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with Process moderated mediation analysis to systematically test direct, indirect, and moderated effects among variables.
The results of the study show that: (1) economic incentives, career development, and training incentives all have a significant positive effect on the Self-Efficacy and Work Engagement of Teachers with Dual Professional Qualifications. (2) Self-Efficacy plays a significant partial mediating role between the three types of incentives and Work Engagement, indicating that University-Enterprise Cooperation cannot be ignored in the incentive transmission mechanism. (3) Teachers with Dual Professional Qualifications status have a positive moderating role in the relationship between Self-Efficacy and Work Engagement.
Based on the study’s findings, the following recommendations are made: universities should develop tiered, differentiated strategies that depend on whether teachers hold dual professional qualifications and the length of their practical experience. Establish a training system centered on competence development to enhance teachers’ self-confidence and professional competence. Create a supportive organizational environment to improve teachers’ psychological security and sense of belonging, thereby continuously promoting high-quality Work Engagement among Teachers with Dual Professional Qualifications.

Keywords: private universities, teachers with dual professional qualifications, motivational strategies, work engagement, self-efficacy